DEVOTEES OF RUGBY ARE FINDING IT HARD

NZ Truth, Issue 1274, 1 May 1930, Page 12

DEVOTEES OF RUGBY ARE FINDING IT HARD

"SMALL" MEASURE OF INCONVENIENCE The Old Rule Is New Rule and Takes Learning FINDING LINE ON THE FULL

(By "N.Z. Truth's" Special Rugby Writer). Saturday last marked the opening of the new season, and the kick-mto-touch and the mark-with-the-heel rules were introduced by a generation of players reared on an altogether different football diet.

•"THE opinion was expressed by "Truth" 1 some months back that when our placers had "to revert to the old-time game they would not know what and where they were. After witnessing games throughout the iJominion on Saturday we find no reason to alter that opinion. In theory it could be worked out that, the player who could put the ball out on the bounce could far more easily put it out on the full, but it was not proved this way m practice. The ball went 'out, all right, but judgment was sadly lacking m the great majority of the kicking, and after attempts to line with distance had failed woefully players just booted wildly and trusted to luck. And luck was not their way. It being the opening of the season It was expecting rather too much to find players settling down to what are to them new rules, but surely there was every right to anticipate some semblance of scientific line finding. To ''Truth" one international player of years standing expressed the opinion that it would take a good two seasons for players to find their level, and this, alas, seems to be onjy too true. The English team is due m the coun-

try within the next fortnight and the first match is at Wanganui on May 21. That means that players have three Saturdays m which to perfect the present weakness. • The Englishmen will start off at the disadvantage of being a team of individuals, but they will know all about the told rules, and it should not take them long to weld into a combination. Can the same be said of the provincial teams of New Zealand? Had the visitors been present at club games played last Saturday they would have been warranted In forming. the Impression that they had travelled twelve thousand miles not to meet the Dominion on a par, but to take our players In hand and teach them. However, there cannot be anything to fear — "Truth" heard one of the All Black selectors tell the world that the. change over to the old rules would cause a minimum of inconvenience and that, players would experience no difficulty m the change-over. ' > . The proof of the kicking is m the.finding of the line. Last Saturday's exhibitions amply illustrated that the switch is going to cause a maximum of inconvenience. ■ • .